Thanks to everyone for the great ideas. I am especially excited about that Hatfield Museum. The idea of that Hatfield lady at the bottom of the hill with her museum and her gravestone business and her dead relatives buried above her- it sounds Gothic, or Shakespearean.

To change topics, I thought it might be nice to expand the thread a little with more travel info.

Every highpointer does a lot of traveling to the same places. So I'd like to invite anyone to share more info on not just the climbs themselves but other attractions, great campsites, etc. We might as well make this thread as useful as possible!

My family (wife and 6 kids ranging in age from 12 years to seven months old) and I hiked to the summit of Harney Peak last week via trail # 9! No one had any trouble except for the four year old. She made it 1 1/2 miles before she could go no further. My wife carried her the rest of the way up, and I carried her all the way down in a child carrier. HP #7 for me!

Congratulations Catamount and Iagosghost! So Catamount, can you tell us about SW Couloir? And how many highpoints are you up to now?

Last weekend Cypress and I did Kentucky and Virginia.

Kentucky was as advertised; very uninspiring in its present form. This is one of many highpoints that would really benefit from tourism- and outdoor recreation- related development. We did find two really cool things to do in Cumberland, the nearest town west of the highpoint- the coal museum and the Poor Fork Arts and Crafts collective.

Virginia was unbelievable. I did not realize how great this hike was going to be! Big views the whole way and we ran into two batches of wild ponies. They let us feed them grass and pet them. Add in the atmosphere at the campground, the AT, nearby Damascus, and it was one of the very best highpoints. It could never be my favorite because it was just too easy, but maybe the best ever to get a beginner into highpointing.

I am up to 24 now, and Junior and I have done 19 together. This has been our best year ever!

I climbed Humphrey's back in 2009. As I was approaching the ridge there were two female voices continually gaining on me from behind. Two women trail runners caught me at the ridgeline, running uphill at 12K feet in non-stop, full conversation. Made me feel inadequate

Catamount wrote:Glad you had a great trip GEM Trail. One more highpoint and you'll be eligible for the 25-state completer pin. Of the pins I have, I think it's the coolest of the bunch.

Can't tell you anything about the SW couloir since I didn't go that way. Took the traditional FTD plateau route. For good information, check out musicman82's recent TR. Really well-done report.

48 HPs, by the way. Purists can throw an asterisk on Rainier if they want since I didn't tag Columbia Crest. Hood and Denali are all I have left.

Catamount - I respect your accomplishments but I don't see how you can count Rainier when you didn't reach the true summit. Call me a purist I guess but there's only 1 highest point and you're either on it or you're not. Would you count Denali if you turned back at the Football Field, or Mt Hood if you turned back at the Pearly Gates? Sorry for being such a downer after what you accomplished during your trip. You accompished a lot by any measure.

Maybe we can climb Rainier together someday. I plan to go back and climb it unguided so that I can claim doing all of the state highpoints unguided. After all, you have to go back to climb Mt Hood right? It's just down the road...

I climbed with RMI in 2001. They split the group inside the crater. Out of 19 people, only myself and a buddy opted to climb the western rim. Everyone else rested. It took us about 30 mins or so... You should confirm that with your guide service before going though.